Madison — Natural Resources Secretary Cathy Stepp on Tuesday defended Gov. Scott Walker's plan to turn the Natural Resources Board into an advisory panel, instead of one that makes policy, even as she acknowledged she had not been consulted on the proposal in advance.

"I feel that it's extra layers," Stepp said of the board in a briefing to the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee. "I think it's duplicative."

The idea has sparked opposition from Democrats as well as some of Walker's fellow Republicans. Sen. Luther Olsen (R-Ripon) said he had "some concerns" about the plan.(51)

If Park Bank is liable for not spotting Sujata "Sue" Sachdeva's $34 million embezzlement from Koss Corp., then so is chief executive Michael Koss, the bank argues in a new lawsuit.

In a suit filed last week, the bank argues that if a jury finds Park Bank liable for the loss, then Michael Koss and Grant Thornton, the firm's former auditor, should have to pay some of the award.

"Park Bank denies any and all liability to Koss in this case," Park Bank wrote in its action. "Nevertheless, should Park Bank be found liable to Koss (Corp.) and required to pay damages to Koss in this case those damages will have been the result of a common liability of Park Bank, Michael Koss and Grant Thornton, thereby entitling Park Bank to (a) contribution from Michael Koss and Grant Thornton."(1)

The 830-meter par-3

Accounting for the wind and pulling the right club on the world's longest par-3 can be a bit problematic, considering the tee is 1,410 feet above the green and the ball travels some 830 meters through the air.

A friend alerted me to the video of Padraig Harrington and Raphael Jacquelin playing the signature hole at Legends Golf and Safari Resort in South Africa. Check it out yourself at www.completegolfer.co.za.

Harrington became the first-ever player to make a par on the hole, getting up and down from a greenside bunker. The tee is accessible only by helicopter. It is an "extra" hole on the course and presumably requires a premium to play because of the expensive ride to the tee box.

Once the ball is struck, it is in the air for about 26 seconds before thudding into the ground far below. Spotters are used because it's impossible to see the ball land from the tee. According to the Web site, anyone making an ace on the hole gets $1 million U.S.

Reader comments on the posting are rather humorous, too, with some debating the physics of the shot and others complaining about the elitism of such a hole, and golf courses in general.